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About the
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Welcome to Kawsay Ayahuasca Retreat. We are honored to be able to offer to you the opportunity to take part in Ayahuasca ceremonies and Huachuma(San Pedro) journeys with four shamans,You will be able to explore traditional plant spirit shamanism that dates from time immemorial in a safe and secure environment. Join us during our Ayahuasca retreat & Huachuma(San Pedro) journeys. We work with integrity and the best of intentions for spiritual awakening, and holistic healing of the mind, body, and spirit. We have put together these programs with great intention to provide for you the ability to come to the Amazon Jungle and feel safe knowing that we have worked hand in hand with these shamans having deep comprehension of their ability and nature, having confidence that you can come to immerse yourself in the realms of Peruvian shamanism with Ayahuasca, Huachuma(San Pedro) and these shamans with security that you are with people who have dedicated their lives to helping others.In the interest of healing, all the shamans work as a team, providing a large healer to guest ratio. By directing this in this manner each guest receives the personal care and treatment needed during their stay with us during our ayahuasca retreats.Our intention is the real healing of the individuals' lives and a real focus during our Hauchuma ceremony for you to find your life’s purpose.Peru has an extremely rich mixture of spiritual traditions that remains very much alive today from the shamans of the jungle using their sacred spirit plant medicine Ayahuasca that enables them to transcend ordinary states of consciousnesses while having an effect on reality with their intention. To the more mysterious spiritual work that has been and continues to be performed with the sacred plant medicine Huachuma(San Pedro) during mesa works and at sacred temples.We have great experience in shamanic healing work and spiritual practices, our combined experience equals more than 105 years

I have been involved in spiritual practices and studies since I have been a young boy.
I first received my initiation into shamanism by the world of spirit when I was 30 years old. Since this time I have worked with many different shamans from many different modalities form throughout the world.
I have studied and been in ceremony with many Ayahuasqueros with Ayahuasca and finally settled down with Don Romulo and Don Winister because of their dedication to working as true healers.
I also began working with the spirit plant medicine Huachuma or San Pedro throughout the temples in Peru with several Huachumeros since 2005.
Finally receiving my initiation by Huachuma in 2015 as a true Huachumero after many years of many spiritual tests.
I have acquired much knowledge and experience dealing within the spiritual worlds that shamanism opens, helping and healing through the access and connection to the divine.
I also have an extensive knowledge of the medicinal plants that have been used by the shamans to help treat many different conditions.
My intention is the true healing to what extent one can be healed physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
From a place of service to our fellow man, the planet and our creator with great heartfelt love for all.
-William

Don Romulo is the main master shaman that we are aligned and work with, for our Ayahuasca ceremonies. Don Romulo was born in 1936, he is a rare breed of shaman called a “Banco Ayahuasquero”. As foreign as the description may seem to us in our cultural paradigm a “Banco” has the ability through many years of strict diets, isolation in the jungle, working with Ayahuasca and the spirits to become the “chair” or “bank” of the spirits in order for the entry of the spirits into his body to help cure people of disease. They have mastered the spiritual aspect of earth, water, air and fire. Here is Don Romulos’ history in his own words.
“My first experience with Ayahuasca I was 8 years old. When I drank with my oldest brother on this very dark night it was revealed to me many secrets that Ayahuasca keeps. I made the decision to become a shaman because my father and oldest brother were shaman and also I saw a lot of people who needed help with diseases that science could not find the cause of the malady. After my first ceremony I began a regime of strict diets no salt, sugar, spicy, acidic or oily foods. With this diet I received much knowledge of the medicinal plants that exist in the Amazon. After this I began to do ceremonies with Ayahuasca and during my visions I encountered many small humanoids similar to what the appearance of elves might look like, they taught me how to see the disease that the patient was suffering from and what medicinal plants were needed to alleviate the condition.
When I was 12 years old, the first person I was able to cure was baby who was suffering from manchari (a condition defined by apparent fright and continued crying and nervous fits that does not subside over a period of time), Through the process taught to me by the spirits and Ayahuasca the manchari was cured. To be a shaman I must know how to cure many diseases. I continued my ceremonies and diets into the depths of the jungle so I could have the ability to concentrate and continue to learn more Icaros (magical healing songs) because different problems have their own icaros to remedy the problem.
As I continued to diet more quickly I learned many many things including many more medicinal plants, trees, and vines that Mother Nature has given to us. When I was 20 years old I was given the medicine of “La Ponga” ( a spiritual tree in the amazon) which was given to me like a phlegm called Mariri. With this phlegm I then became able to cure people who were inflicted with witchcraft from sorcerers or Brujos (practitioners of negative magical works). As a shaman it is necessary to be prepared for all of this to have medicinal and defensive ability. To be a shaman you have to be strong and brave because we are exposed to dangers of the brujos.
Ayahuasca holds many secrets, many people do not know what is real and exists in the physical and spiritual world. To study the spirit world with Ayahuasca has a beginning but not an end.
At my age now I have allot of knowledge about Ayahuasca. I have taught many people on the path with Ayahuasca and I am not stingy teaching what I know.”
The lineage of Don Romulo goes back many generations so far that there is no record or memory past his great great grandfather. I, William have been a testament to the power and integrity that Don Romulo works with, he is a humble man and very wise. If only a handful of us could know just a portion of his experience our lives would be enriched immeasurably.

Winister is the second master shaman that we work with. Winister was born in 1964. He is the son of Romulo the Banco Ayahuasquero. In Winisters’ words this is his history,
“My first experience with Ayahuasca was when I was 15 years old, I was in school and working at that time. In my first ceremony I had a lot of visions both positive and negative, I saw a lot of serpents and heard the sound of Ayahuasca coming from the earth. After that I was dieting with Ayahuasca for one year, then I had to temporarily leave my apprenticeship for some time to enter the military. After I returned from the military I went to visit my father on his farm and decided to continue dieting with Ayahuasca because I was going down a bad path in my life. I decided to make Ayahuasca my doctor and began again my diet, but stronger of no salt, sugar, spicy and greasy foods and no sexual relations. This diet I continued far away from my family deep in the jungle because the spirits of Ayahuasca through my dreams and ceremonies showed me that I was going to be a master shaman and my father told me that one day I would be a teacher to help humanity and that I would also need to learn to help my children. My father gave me his medicine and I continued to do many diets so I could become a master shaman to be able to detect what is wrong with the patient to know and use the medicinal plants. It is not easy to use all the powers of plant medicines it takes a lot of special diets.
The ceremonies of Ayahuasca brings a lot of visions of the spiritual and material worlds, it is a doctor who teaches you the good way in behavior in the material and spiritual realms.”
Winister is very serious,quiet and strong yet kind in heart who like many of us has traveled down paths that could be detrimental to oneself but making the decision to heal himself with the aid of Ayahuasca and grow in a positive direction, always looking out for ways to help where he can, he is a good man and works very hard in his work with Ayahuasca and in life.

Reviews
To review this event, visit the page for the venue or retreat leaders (above).

This was an excellent retreat in every respect. The accommodations are clean and comfortable. The people there are kind and genuine and qualified. The Shamans are truly amazing people and the entire experience was incredible. I was very unsure about going and what it would be like. I was truly lucky to have gone to a place like this. There are so many places out there and so many bad things that could happen. If you come here you can feel comfortable that you are safe and have a good experience.

Everything taken care of. Modern living in the jungle. Excellent food. Incredible location. Very experienced ayahuasca practitioners. Very loving and comforting atmosphere. Small trips were included within the retreat which I was unaware of but was pleasantly surprised by. William (the American host and owner of Kawsay) and his ayahuasca shamans Don Romelo (86yrs old) and his son Winnester are an extremely experienced team which put your mind at rest. My travelling companion and I didn't put a huge amount of effort into looking for the "right" retreat but I can't imagine another even coming close to the safety and security of this one. Did I have some intensely emotional experiences and work through deep problems that I found hard to talk about? Yes. This experience will be a healing one and will open you if you allow it.

Safe, Peaceful Retreat That Focuses on Healing with Transformative Potential

William and the team at Kawsay provide a safe and recluse ecosystem for travelers looking for personal growth. I had never done Ayahuasca before, and I feel so lucky to have found them for my first experience. They prioritize safety before and after a ceremony to maximize integration learnings from the medicine. The shamans also provide valuable insight into post-ceremony meetings to help provide context and understanding of ceremonial insights. After doing Ayahuasca I now fully understand the dangers and responsibilities that come with the gift. Kawsay stresses this throughout the retreat and I couldn’t be happier with my stay. Anyone looking to try Ayahuasca for the first time but doesn’t know much about it should HIGHLY consider choosing Kawsay. There are some bad actors out there, and working with the wrong people can have devastating long term effects!! I hope to be back one day! Oh yeah, and the food was GREAT!!

Kawsay is truly a unique and beautiful place for healing and learning! Both because of the setting and care taken in the physical experience and the quality of the Shamans and related support and education that is needed to ensure that the experience creates lasting change. I cannot recommend this place more highly. I had the most transformative experience during my time there and since, hence my only writing this review now. I work in psychedelic research for one of the leading organizations in the field and so I have a lot of personal and professional experience with the healing potential of these ancient medicines. I have also been to 4 different Ayahuasca retreats over my 4 year journey. A lot of those experiences were very positive but I also had experiences that were less so and left me with difficulties that were not well supported. When I heard about Kawsay from a friend and spoke to the owner and San Pedro Shaman, William, I knew I had found a place that was really focused on healing and would support me through the difficulties I was experiencing. We spoke many times on the phone and experienced remote work that he did for me out of the kindness of his heart to support me, all long before I was able to come back to Peru and finish the work I had started. There are many retreats available for people to choose from, but what makes Kawsay different is that they are focused on the journey of the individual and ensuring they get all they need from that visit and not setting up a dynamic where repeat visits are required, which is something I have seen elsewhere. The spiritual, emotional and physical guidance I recieved from William and the rest of the team at Kawsay was invaluable and has continued to serve me as I have gone through the experiences and changes in my life that have followed since my visit last August. The integration following Ayahuasca is so key and was never taught to me correctly. It was at Kawsay and this is what I credit for the changes I have seen. My life has literally over time been purged of the experiences and influences that no longer serve me and although it has been tough at times, what has come out is lasting change. I am so thankful to William and all at Kawsay for that gift and would encourage anyone thinking of taking this trip to choose Kawsay.

My journey to this retreat was more than I could ever ask for. It was my first Ayahuasca experience so I was slightly nervous on what to expect. William and everyone else involved at this retreat did everything to answer any and all concerns. Everybody in my group had many questions and he made sure they all got answered.
This place is the real deal, the Shamans are truly amazing with great abilities. I felt safe every step of the way.
From start to finish these people are caring, patient and most importantly genuine. I didn’t want to leave...a piece of my heart stayed out there because I know I’ll be back again soon! A huge thank you to everyone that works at Kawsay for a memorable stay and all the wonderful food too!!! Until we meet again ❤️

When I arrived William was there to meet me at the Dawn of the Amazon. We then took a beautiful one and half hour boat ride down the Amazon river to the center. The lodging is a half hour boat ride to the maloka for ceremonies, it’s such a beautiful piece of land, so quiet and peaceful.
The ceremonies are the best I’ve ever sat in, the healing you get here is amazing, I’ve never experienced anything like it, Romolo ,Winister and William are so full of love and compassion. I experienced my first San Pedro ceremony with William which was great to have someone knowledgeable to guide the ceremony, it was a unique experience and I’m looking forward to learning more about San Pedro in the future.
I was so impressed with the healing Romolo and Winister did on me that I can say there are not a lot of center in Peru doing what they do, and the experience they have. In this work, unfortunately, there are bad shamans out there, and I’ve experienced more than a few. I can only say that for now on I’ll just be going to Qhispikay I don’t need to explore any more centers, I found a place where it’s the healing that really matters through genuine good hearted people that care. If you want the true healing just this is the place

Retreat Guru's Vision

We believe human beings are innately wise, strong and kind. This wisdom, although not always experienced, is always present. Going on retreat is a beautiful way to reconnect to our basic sanity and health. Our aspiration at Retreat Guru is to inspire people to experience authentic retreats and reconnect with their innate wisdom, strength and kindness.